Wow, that's quite the hefty wood. Sounds like a good project, for sure!

Shipping from USA to Australia? Must've been a pain.

Not really. $100 US which is better than most of the bodies and necks and such on ebay. The place I got it from only charges the actual postage costs, not like the $100 strat bodies with $250 postage you get all over ebay.

Not really. $100 US which is better than most of the bodies and necks and such on ebay. The place I got it from only charges the actual postage costs, not like the $100 strat bodies with $250 postage you get all over ebay.

Woah, where'd you nab that?

That's quite cheap, especially since you pretty much ordered a body blank and neck-through pieces in both mahogany and purpleheart. Mahogany being around that price, I could somewhat understand, but purpleheart?

That's quite cheap, especially since you pretty much ordered a body blank and neck-through pieces in both mahogany and purpleheart. Mahogany being around that price, I could somewhat understand, but purpleheart?

How do these guys make a profit!?

That was the postage cost, not the total! The body was $100 and the neck about $60, plus $100 postage! Sorry for the mixup, I didn't word that sentence very well

I'm glad to see another purple heart guitar being built. A warning though, purple heart is a pain in the ass to work with and it's heavy as sin, but it looks great and has nice sustain. This reminds me, I need to get around to finishing my purple heart strat eventually

100 bucks for the body alone? That comes out to like $15 per board foot (depending on the dimensions of that blank)

Regardless, it's good to see another purpleheart build! I really like the grain on the body blank. Adding mahogany was a good idea to balance out the tone. I hope you're also a bodybuilder because this guitar is going to weigh about as much as one of those Dan Armstrong/B C Rich plexiglass models.

100 bucks for the body alone? That comes out to like $15 per board foot (depending on the dimensions of that blank)

Regardless, it's good to see another purpleheart build! I really like the grain on the body blank. Adding mahogany was a good idea to balance out the tone. I hope you're also a bodybuilder because this guitar is going to weigh about as much as one of those Dan Armstrong/B C Rich plexiglass models.

It is pretty heavy The body is 5kg but since its neckthrough I'm going to be cutting out 1/3rd of the body, plus the cutaways etc, so I'm hoping to be able to cut that in half. The neck isnt heavy at all. The whole blank is only 4 pounds.

i'd still go with the oil, it may not be as pronounced purple but i'm fairly sure it stays purple, Atomic Guitar Works, the shop i apprentice at uses it for the center stripe in some of our 3 piece necks, with an oil finish, still looks purple.

and the oil will give the whole guitar a more earthy vibe, i think it'll be very cool.

the JEM monkey grip thing is on the blue print, but not the mockup, are you having that?Either way, looks pretty cool =P

The blueprints are for a JEM777, It was the only RG shape blueprint plans I could find. I'm not doing the grip or the lions claw, its just for the outline and routing.

Quote by Absent Mind

Purpleheart will not stay purple, it will turn brown over time

I would look into UV resistant lacquers.

I've heard that Tung oil will stop it going brown. I googled purpleheart finishes or something and got a furniture building site and someone had built a purpleheart table and tung oiled it and it stayed purple.

Quote by POWERMETAL!

i'd still go with the oil, it may not be as pronounced purple but i'm fairly sure it stays purple, Atomic Guitar Works, the shop i apprentice at uses it for the center stripe in some of our 3 piece necks, with an oil finish, still looks purple.

and the oil will give the whole guitar a more earthy vibe, i think it'll be very cool.

more pics ???

I'm probably going to tung oil it anyway. No more pics, havent started it since I have to build it at school I'm going to start some routing templates today (probably)

UPDATES!I've officially started this build! WOOHOO!Not much done yet.Cut the neck blank and glued the laminates. Still have to join the 2 outer pieces, I'll do that Monday. I know some guys glue and clamp all 5 pieces at the same time but its my first build so I'm taking it slowPICS!

You guys are never missing out on pics because I have to photograph every stage of the build for my design folio.

Nice woods! but don't put the purpleheart in the sun!!!! Sunlight is what makes it go brown(actually only the UV-part) As long as you don't put her in front of the window she should stay nice and purple